Flap-making machine



A. o. ABBOTT, JR

FLAP MAKING MACKINE' Filed Feb Dec.;9, I 924.

s Sheets-She et 1 Den. 9, 1924.

, A. 0. ABBOTT, 4R

FLAP MAKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25

1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 $51 an lttozuea Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

"martini o. Annornm or nmnofi', moment, Ass'reNoa'ro MORGAN a WRIGHT,

" a oonron'a'rron or s mulcast.

: Application filed February 25, 1920. Serial 381,177.

To" all whom it may com-em:

Be it known that I, ADRIAN 0. Aaron,

' J r., a citizen'of the United States residing! at Detroit, county .of. Wayne, and State of 5 Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Fla -Making Machines, of which the 'fOllOWIIIg' is afull, clear, and exact description. This invention relates to a machine for 1 making flaps for pneumatic tires.

It has for an ob'ect the creation of a duplex ty space an eliminating confusion in ;the manufacture of tire flaps. It also aims to 1 provide anew combination and arrangeinent of-devices for continuously assembling "a plur'alityof strips in superposed relation. It aims to limprove'certain detailsof maf chines of the same general ty e, particularly in the control of the severallstrip's and in the. construction of a cupping reel upon which the banded together strips are finally wound and vulcanized.

'In machines for making a laminated fab- 3 ric'band from a plurality of strips oneof 'which at'least is folded about-the edges of the others, it aims toprovide improved means forironing the folded edges smooth.

It also aims to provide an improved means for foldin one of-the strips to a predetermined wi th. 'And finally, it has for. an object a combination and organization of parts which permits of-independent operation of means for assembling the strips in 85 superposed relation and means for winding the 's'trips on a reel whereby economy inproductlon isv eflected;

, Briefly described; the',invention comprises i means .for drawing a plurality 'of strips 40 from supply rolls and assembling them in superposed relation, preferably, but not necessarily, with the edges of. one of the strips edges and a' description of one ofthese sets wi iillynow begiven. I

folded about theothers, in,, .assingthe rsulting laminated fabric hand through an accumulating device which is adapted to.

store up adrelatively considerable length of the band when, as is fre uently the case, the operator of the assemb ing'mcans has to stop his part of the machine to make or re )air splices in the several strips that are eing anded together and such other defects as may occur. A reel is located beyond ,the accumulator for continuously e of mac ine economizingifloorindicated in Figs. 7 and 8 show in front and side ele-' compact convolutions. .On this reel, which is readily removable, the banded strips are vulcanized and after vulcanization readily winding up the laminated fabric band into removed for subsequent treatment by separation. of its complementary annular sec- .tions.

The above are the objects of my invention but other objects thereof will appear in the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings lIl'WhlCllZ v 'Figure 1 is a plan view of a duplex machine showing the opposed tables onwhich is supportedthe assembling mechanism.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figures 3 and are plan views and side elevations respectively of the duplex windmg and accumulating mechanisms.

Fig." 5 is a detail in cross-section of a split reel and disengageable' supporting means therefor.

.Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration in plan view of one'of the duplex series of supply roll supports, the supply rolls being otted lines.

vation a set of driven pulling and pressing rolls, parts thereof being shown in section.

Figures 9 and 10 representa set of free running auxiliary and side elevation.

Fig. 11 represents a separating'guide plate in lan. a fig. 12 shows two of the same guide plates in elevation.

In the drawings one of the man possible embodiments of the invention is i lustrated pressing rollers in front,

mounted on parallel-tables 1- and 2,"each 'composed of longitudinal bars 3 suitably braced and sustained by legs 4. 1; Duplicate sets of mechanisms are supportedi on' each table adjacent their contiguous "Tlach ofthese sets of devices constitutes collectively a means for assembling a plurala hole 20 in' the table .top

standards 11 on the IGilIzSlClG of which is a dured against excessive vibration by bolts and spacing collars one of which is indicated at 8 in Fig. 2. A plurality of pairs of opposed spring fingers 8' are provided for sep arately tensionlng to a' slight degree each ing device indicated generally at 9 and shown in detail in Figs, 9 and 10. This pre liminary presser device comprises vertical standards 11 housing a pair of rollers 12 and 13 the latter of which has its bearings in slide blocks 14 which are yieldingly actuated by adjustable compression-springs 15. On, brackets 16 extending laterally from each of the standards 11 the plates17 with guideways 17 are provided for directing the several strips properly. in superposed relation between the presser rolls 12 and 13.

Below each of the tables 1 and 2 a roll of fabric 18, preferably canton flannel for the special purpose of making duck flaps for tires, is hung and a strip thereof is conducted from a guide member or" roller 19 through backwardly to rod 20 which carries adjustable edge guiding collars 21 and is itself supported by brackets 22-suitably fixed to the standards 11.

The several strips from rolls 5 are flattened b the pressers 12 and 13, and if the ,24 carrying a flexibly supportedT shaped tongue 25 which compels the strip 18, to fold about its ends to a widthpredetermined thereby. The folder 22v is adjustably supported on slotted bracket arms '26 for facility in manipulation of the banded strips.

Adjacent the delivery end of the folder 22 a combined feeding and pressing device indicated generally by the numeral 27 is provided. As shown more fully in Figs. 7 and 8 this device .comprisesspaced vertical standards 28 supporting uppe and lowerroughened rollers 29 and 80, the latter of which is supportedon the shaft 31. which on both 'sides of the roller 30 loosely supports eccen 31 is journaled in blocks trics'32 rigidwith arms 34 which are pulled upon by springs 35.. On the eccentrics 32 presser members 36 are 'rotatably supported and spring pressed against or toward the lower roller 29 so as to iron smooth the folded margins of the stri 18. The shaft & slidable in the standards 28 and pressed by the sprin 38 in a direction tending to carry the ro er 30 against the roller 29. The rollers 29 and 30 are each secured fast to their respective supporting shafts which are geared together as indicated at 39 and power driven in any suitable manner as through a sprocket 40 fast to one of said shafts and flexibly. connectedas indicated at 41, Fig. 2, to a power driven shaft 42 which extends transverse] beneath the tables 1 and 2 and carries a pu ley 43 belted as indicated at'44 to a motor 45 beneath the tables.

It is to be noticed that there are two independent flexible connections 41 driving each of the pulling and pressureappl ing devices 27. These devices 27pull all tie strips of fabric from their several supply stations and it is desirable at times "to, halt their operaassembling mechanism above described whenever desirable, a convenient treadle operable clutch mechanism is provided between the For the purpose,

shaft 42 and the flexible connections v4C1 to each of thepresserdevices. Any suitable clutch mechanism may beemployed for this purpose, a satisfactory form thereof being illustrated conventionally at 42 in Figs. 1

and 2 and by treadles 42 at the side of each table. Either clutch may be operated at will.

Referri-ng to Figs. 3' and 4 the'band of laminated fabric formed by assembling in I superposed relation the several strips 5 and 18, is conducted from the pulling pressers 27 through an accumulating device indicated generally by the numeral 46, thence throu h a measurin device indicated generally y the numera 54 thence through a counting mechanism indicated' generally by the'numeral 57 and finally to a cupping reel indicated generally by the numeral 69.

'The accumulator 46 comprises spaced series of crowned pulleys 47 and 48- the former being rotatably mounted in a stationary frame 49 and the latter being shiftably supported by a floating frame 50 which is counterbalanced by a' suitable weight 51 "flexibly connected therewith as indicated at nu es? I porarily halted repairing-the splices or re- =mving a filled reel. It is to be noted that the several pulleys 47 and 48 have acrown portion of less width than the composite band which has been found essential to the successful 0 eration of the accumulator. The relative y narrow crown faces prevent the band from running off thepulleys.

The measuring device 54 is suitably supported adjacent the delivery end of the accumulator andcomprises pin-studded rollers 55 and 56 ofa certain sizethe former being generally to a counting device indicated y the numeral 57. Preferably a pawl and ratchet mechanism is provided to coupled up prevent backward movement of the band.

This mechanism comprises a'weighted lever 58 fulcrumed at 59 on-theframe 49 and carrying theroller 56 and a pawl 60 which cooperates with a ratchet wheel 61 fixed to the shaft 59 of the pulley 56.

The composite hand then passes to a cupping guide indicated generally at 62, the

several parts of which are carried by a lever 63 fulcrumed at 64. The instrumentalitiesfor cupping the band transversely,-i; e., curving' it in cross-section, comprises a guide roller 65 under which the band is led and from which it passes over a sheet metal plate 66 which is bent into a downwardly concave 'form at the end thereof adjacent the reel as indicated at 67, where it partly thrust thereagainst for the convenient removal and replacement of the reels. The threaded arms 74 are carried b chucks 75 which are loosely sleeved on a s aft 76pmvided at its opposite ends with suitable clutches 77 and 7 8 for coupling either chuck to the shaft 76. The shaft 76 is constantly tigggre driven through the belt or other driven through the-gears 79 and80 which in g le connection 81 from the shaft efore-mentioned.

While theforegoing describes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the principles thereof ma be incorporated in various forms and, there ore,

reference should be made to the claims for an understanding of the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

15111 a duplex machine for making a band'of laminated fabric strips, in combination, two lndependent series of strip supplying rollers, means for' drawmg said strips from their supply rollers and pressing them together, a pair of reels, a pair of accumulating devices in advance of said reels and means for rotating said reels including a driven shaft axially supporting the reels, and independently operable clutching mechanism for driving either therefrom at will.

2. In a machine for making bands of laminated fabric, in combination, means for assembling a plurality of strips of fabricat least some of. which are surfaced with an adhesive, means for folding about the edges of the lamlnated strips another strip which is non-adhesive on one surface at least, shiftable means in which the band may be accumulated, means beyond the'shiftable means for reeling the laminated strips in a compact curved condition, and means for stopping the operation of either the reeling means or the strip assembling means while permitting the other to operate in con unc-f tion with the shiftable accumulating meana. b 7

In a machine for making a laminated band from a plurality of superposed'plies',

of fabric, in combination, means for assembling a plurality of strips in superposed relation to form 'a band with one of said strips folded about the edges of the others,

and a pressure device having eccentric and concentric roller portions for ironing the foldedgedges flat. y

4. Iiia machine for making a laminated band from a plurality of superposed plies of fabric, in combination, means for assembling a plurality of strips'in superposed re lation to form a band with one of said stripsfolded about the edges of the others,

means for applying a differential pressure to the edge and intermediate ortions of the composite band, and means orwniding the band in a transversely curved condition in compact nested onvolutions.

5. In a machine for making a laminated band from a plurality of superposed plies of fabric, in combination, means for assembling a plurality of strips in superposed relation to form a band with one o f said strips folded about the edges of the gfthers, a pressure device having eccentric 'and'concentric roller portions for ironing the edge-folded strip flat, and means for winding the band in a transversely curvedshape and in compact convolutions. I

6. In a machine for making a laminated band from a plurality of superposed plies of fabric, in combination, means forassem bling a plurality of strips in superposed relation to form a band with one of said-.

strips folded about the edges of, the others, and a pair of pressure feeding rollers one of which is flanked by eccentrically supported and yieldingly actuated pressure applying members cooperating with the other roller.

T. In a niaclii'nefor making a laminated band from a plurality of superposed plies of fabric, in combination, means for assembling a plurality of strips in superposed relation to form a band with one of said strips folded about theedges of the others, a pair of pressure feeding rollers 'one of which is flanked by eccentrically supported and .yieldingly actuated pressure applying members, and means for Winding the band in compact vconvolutions each of which is curved transversely.

. 8. In a machine for making a laminated band from. a plurality of superposed plies of fabric, in combination, means for assembling a plurality of strips in superposed relation to form a band Withone of said strips folded about the edges of the others, a pair of pressure feeding rollers one of which is flanked by eccentrically supported and yieldingly actuated pressure applying members, and means for Winding the band in compact convolutions.

# 9; A' festooning rack comprising a series of rollers, a movable frame, a second series of rollers journaled in said movable frame, and means for maintaining the two said series in substantially the same angular relation While one of said series is moved irom or toward the other.

10. A festooning rack comprising a stationary frame, a series of rollers journaled in said frame, a movable frame, a series of rollers journaled in said movable frame,

and a weight so connected with said movable frame as to maintain the latter in substantially constant angular relation to said stationary frame'While said movable frame moves from and toward said stationary frame.

Signed at b tl-omaajichi an, this 17th day of February, 1920.

AD RIAN O. ABBOTT, JR. 

